1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method that performs three-dimensional processing for three-dimensional display on a plurality of images having different points of view and generates an image for three-dimensional display which is three-dimensionally displayed on a display unit for three-dimensional display, and a program that allows a computer to perform the image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique has been known which combines a plurality of images acquired by imaging the same object at different positions to generate an image for three-dimensional display and three-dimensionally displays the generated image for three-dimensional display, thereby obtaining a three-dimensional image using parallax. As a detailed three-dimensional display method, a parallel-eyed viewing method has been known that arranges a plurality of images in parallel to perform three-dimensional display. In addition, it is possible to perform three-dimensional display by superimposing different colors of a plurality of images, for example, red and blue images or superimposing a plurality of images in different polarization directions to combine the plurality of images, thereby generating an image for three-dimensional display. In this case, image separation glasses, such as red/cyan glasses or polarized glasses, are used to combine a three-dimensionally displayed image for three-dimensional display, thereby achieving three-dimensional display (an anaglyph method and a polarizing filter method).
In addition, for example, as in a parallax barrier method and a lenticular method, it is possible to achieve three-dimensional display by displaying a plurality of images on a three-dimensional display monitor that can three-dimensionally display images, without using the polarized glasses. In this case, a plurality of images is cut in a strip shape in the vertical direction, and the strip-shaped images are alternately arranged to generate an image for three-dimensional display. In this way, three-dimensional display is performed. In addition, a method has been proposed which uses image separation glasses or attaches an optical element to liquid crystal and alternately changes the left and right images at a high speed while changing the ray direction of the left and right images, thereby performing three-dimensional display using the persistence of vision (scan backlight method).
When three-dimensional display is performed in this way, it is necessary to appropriately adjust a three-dimensional effect. Therefore, a method has been proposed which receives an instruction to adjust the amount of parallax of a three-dimensionally displayed image for three-dimensional display and generates an image for three-dimensional display on the basis of the instructed amount of parallax (see JP2004-129186A). In addition, a method has been proposed which adjusts the three-dimensional effect while viewing a displayed image for three-dimensional display, thereby generating an image for three-dimensional display (see JP1998-90814A (JP H10-90814A)). A method has been proposed which adjusts the three-dimensional effect in a game machine (see JP1997-192349A (JP H09-192349A)). Further, a method has been proposed which acquires information in a depth direction during image capture and determines a main object so as to accurately specify the main object (see JP2009-81869A).